Chapter 4
All for Money
Sasha Ramirez
Iwalked up the stairs angrily, restraining myself from stomping hard on each step in frustration. I let myself into the apartment and went to knock on Renee’s door.
“Renee! I’ve got the rent. Please come out and take it or I’m going to spend it all on Chinese takeout,” I bluffed. Renee opened just as I was about to knock again.
“I’ll take that, thank you very much,” she said, snatching the money out of my hand. “Are you okay?” Renee asked in a worried tone. “You look like you’ve been crying.”
I shook my head, trying to wave off the concern. “It’s nothing. Just a really rough day, is all.”
“Do you want to talk about it? I know we aren’t exactly friend-friend, but you can tell me if there’s something wrong.” She led me to a couch and sat on it. “What’s happened? Is it your mum? Is it Emilio?” she probed. She’d always been impressed with how hard I worked, scraping barely enough for rent and groceries. She knew I needed to send money home now and then. She also knew my brother had recently joined a bad crowd; she’d overheard me chiding him about it.
“I got fired today. A customer tried to get frisky, and I upended a glass of ice on his shirt. I didn’t know he was friendly with the boss. I got paid and escorted out by the manager.” I broke into tears again. “I can’t be without a job, Renee. I have a lot of bills hanging over me.”
“I’m so sorry, Sasha, men can be such pigs! You know I’ve asked you to come to join me at my job already. Leo is always looking for fresh stock, and you fit the criteria. You are freakishly tall, you’ve got the shape and face of a model, and you are out of a job.”
“Renee, I told you I’m wary of the escort business. I don’t like the stories I hear about it. I’ll just go hunting for another job tomorrow. I’m sure I’ll find something.”
“Alright, then. I tried, at least, again. If you do change your mind, though, you’re only one knock away from better checks, flexible work hours, and timely rent payments.” Renee finished with a grin.
“Thank you, Renee, really. But I’m pretty sure I won’t. Goodnight,” I said, getting up and going into my room.
The next morning, I dressed to embark on my job hunt.I need to clean up this mess,I thought as I looked down at my messy floor, reminding myself to clean up since I now had some free time on my hands. I grabbed my coat off its stand and noticed the envelope someone had shoved under my door. I opened it up and found a note and some bills inside it.
I figured you might need to hold on to this in the meantime. You can just pay twice for next month. – R
Iwent over to her door and knocked. Figuring Renee was still sleeping, I hammered louder on the door. When Renee opened it and began to protest, I held my tears in, dove in and hugged her in silence, but with immense gratitude. Renee didn’t have time to return the embrace as I pulled away, walking out the apartment just as quickly, before she could see me sobbing.
“Good luck!” Renee murmured to the sound of the closing door.
∞∞∞
I tried to feign interest, but my mind was a thousand miles away. A waitress in a bunny ears uniform walked past, and I wished I could trade places with her, particularly on this night. I pushed myself to my feet and put the glass of wine down.Whoosh!I was feeling lightheaded.
Fuck, there must be more to life than this.This was not why I’d risked coming to New York again. I was still an illegal immigrant. I’d saved up all I could to pay the coyote to come here at the age of 18. My family meant everything to me. I needed this job to give them a better life back in Mexico. I bit down on my lips and gave a sweet smile to the fidgeting man in front of me.
"If you'd excuse me, I have to use the ladies’ room."
"Alright, Gingerbread," he replied with a smile that showed too many teeth. He was sweating even though the air-conditioning in the lounge was blasting at full speed. Dark patches were beginning to appear under the arms of his suit. "Don't take too long," he said, but his attention was directed at another waitress walking past as he ogled her.
"Of course," I said, and disappeared into the small milling crowd. There was a short line of two other women in front of the restroom. I leaned against the wall and waited. It took everything to not go outside and hail a cab, but I fought to calm myself down. It had been 10 months on the job; I took a deep breath and told myself that the night was almost over and reminded myself why I was doing this. The hosting job I’d finally succumbed to was the only way I could have survived.
When I re-entered the lounge, I spied him scooping nuts from a new saucer and shoving them into his face. I pretended not to see that and plastered a demure smile on my face and walked over to him. He was beginning to go ripe with the smell of liquor and sweat. I had one mission for the duration of the night.To not throw up on him.
"Gingerbread! You hungry?" He was talking with his mouth full, and I could see the ground paste in his mouth.Could this night get any worse?
"I know the owner of the place. They have an in-house chef who can rustle up something if you’re starving." He checked his wristwatch as he spoke. I knew he was trying to come off as important and resourceful. "But only if you’re starving. They don't do it for just anyone. We've got time."
"I'm really not hungry, Umberto," I replied.
"I told you, Gingerbread, call me Bert. All my friends do," he said, placing a heavy palm with short, sausage-like fingers on my thighs. "I want us to be friends."
"Oh, Bert, we already are friends. But about the food … would you be terribly offended if I turned it down? It's getting late."
"Nonsense. I already ordered. The chef is Italian, like me. Great cuisine, you'll love it." He waived a waitress over and ordered another glass of red wine for me.
I groaned inwardly, but smiled while I nodded patiently. The night was turning out to be longer than I’d imagined. Bert, the client, was an obviously lonely man who’d not had much experience with real relationships.Hang in there. Think about Mama and Emilio. They need you.I calmed myself by thinking of the paycheck I would get for this date from hell.
